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More and more firms are utilizing social media as a distribution channel to sell products. By establishing business accounts on social media firms provide information service to strengthen their relationship with customers and boost sales. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the pricing, information service provision and channel strategies of firms who sell products through social media.

The authors use a game theoretical model to study a dual-channel supply chain consisting of one manufacturer and one retailer. Two scenarios are considered – under one scenario the manufacturer and under the other the retailer, respectively, solely provides information service. Both firms’ pricing decisions and profits are compared.

The authors find that in the dual-channel model with either the manufacturer or the retailer providing information service to enhance the demand: a firm that has stronger social ties with customers is willing to provide more information services; when the manufacturer provides information service, it charges a direct price higher than the wholesale price, and whether the direct-channel price exceeds the retail price depends on the strength of the manufacturer’s social ties with customers; when the retailer provides information service, the direct price is equal to the wholesale price, both lower than the retail price; and a firm always prefers itself rather than the other firm to provide information service. However, the whole supply chain is better off if the manufacturer rather than the retailer provides information service.

Besides the relationship between firms and customers, the peer relationship among customers also impacts the supply chain performance, which might be studied in the future.

The study is novel in theoretically exploring the influence of firms’ social relationship with customers on firms’ pricing and channel strategies.

Nowadays, to simplify manufacture process and improve fault-tolerant capability, more and more modular electrical machines are being applied in industrial areas. The purpose of this paper is to investigate a novel modular single-sided flat permanent magnet linear synchronous motor (PMLSM), which adopts segmented armature with the required flux gaps between segments to enhance the performance.

Using 2D finite element analysis, the performances, such as open-flux linkage, back-EMF, average thrust force, thrust ripple, etc., are compared in different values of flux gaps, as well as different slot/pole number combinations (mainly odd numbers of poles). Finally, to show the difference of linear motor from rotary one, the detailed comparison is made between modular PMLSM and rotary PMSM.

Due to flux gaps, it is found the electromagnetic performances are worsened along with flux gap width increasing to modular PMLSMs having slot number higher than pole number, but some aspects of performances such as winding factor, open-circuit flux linkage, back-EMF and average thrust can be improved to those having slot number lower than pole number. Due to the end effect of linear format, the thrust ripple is not significantly improved.

It is concluded the proper flux gaps can be chosen to improve the performance of PMLSM with certain slot/pole combinations. A new structure of 12-slot-13-pole (hereinafter referred to as 12s/13p) PMLSM with fractional slot and alternative-teeth wound winding is designed.

The increasing popularity of immersive activities (e.g. immersive performing art (IPA) at tourism destinations calls for the need to understand customers’ immersive experiences and its impact on their attitudes and behavioral intentions. This study aims to conceptualize customers’ interactive experience in IPA and systematically examine how interaction in IPA experience shapes customers’ word-of-mouth (WOM) intention and thus generates business values for destination managers.

A two-step mixed-methods approach was used. The qualitative study was adopted to identify the salient dimensions of interaction in IPA experience and develop a context-specific measurement scale. Structural equation modeling approach was applied to test the theoretical model using partial least squares 3.3.0.

The results indicated that the three dimensions of interaction in IPA experience (i.e. parasocial interaction, narrative interaction and environmental interaction) are positively related to customers’ experiences of narrative transportation and self-expansion related to the IPA, which further influence their WOM intention.

This study considers IPA as an emerging form of immersive tourism activities and conceptualizes its interactive nature, and contributes to the understanding of how customers’ interactive experience helps them construct meanings through narrative transportation, and offers valuable guidance for IPA designers and destination management organizations.